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ChadHale
March 27th, 2020, 05:50
Not only do I have Fantasy Grounds...
But I also seem to have something called Fantasy Grounds II.
I try to start up FGII and it goes straight away to launching the updater, and then...
the updater doesn't work.
Could the problems I am having be because; I paid for abandonware?
Would I be interested in buying the "New Fantasy Grounds" thingamabob, when:
I don't know what kind of License I have for regular FG,
I don't know what I wasted on FGII,
where would my license be if the monies I dumped into FGII, where instead applied to the one version of FG that works?
I am just not thrilled by the idea of paying for an Ultimate license or the Next iteration of FG if the program is going to be abandonware, the sequel.
:confused: Help me understand.

I have got $200 in my budget for me, myself, and I this weekend, tell me why I should stay with FG and not go to Roll20?

LordEntrails
March 27th, 2020, 06:58
FGII is a remnant name for FG version 2. The current version, now called FGC is version 3.3.10. The next version, currently in open beta is called FGU and is version 4.0

Your old FGII licenses are viable for FGC (version 3). See the Order History (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/myorders.php) in the store for the details of what you own.

FGU requires a new license, but all your content from FGC will work with FGU.

There is no abandonware. FGC work and will be supported for an indeterminate amount of time. Owners of FGC licenses get a discount on FGU licenses.

There are plenty of comparisons you can find on FG vs Roll20, some even where I've contributed. But until you state what it is you want to do with a VTT, any discussion is pretty generic and may not be aimed at what your needs are. So, what is it your want from a VTT?

Trenloe
March 27th, 2020, 10:51
Fantasy Grounds II is the name of Fantasy Grounds Classic from quite a few years ago. I'm guessing it's an old installation you have on your computer.

Download and run the latest installer from here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/filelibrary/FGWebInstall.exe (Assuming you're on a Windows PC).

Then enter your FG license key - get this from your order history, and you should be good to go. See - not abandonware at all, the license that I assume you bought 7 years ago will still work and continue to work with FGC in future.

There are plenty of threads around here discussing what FGU will give you. Including compatibility with all of the DLC you've bought for FG Classic - no need to repurchase DLC content. That's one reason to stay with FGU and not go to Roll20 for a start.

ChadHale
March 27th, 2020, 20:44
what is it your want from a VTT?

Okay,
FG at ultimate serves very well. Yet anything less than "Ultimate" and I seem to only have access to "Check for updates" and that is IT!
My problem is I can not do any of the following unless I am invited to a game, (and even then many of these functions don't exist for me).
1. I can not "Read" my purchased library; If I have to buy a digital library of products at a price Approximate or equal to the HARDCOVER books; I should be able to READ THEM. As Paizo PDF files start at 15$, creating a digital product from those PDF and charging the HARDCOVER book price, should be more than enough to pay for the work of coding for FG use. The currently: The customer should Buy the official PDF, and/or the official Hard cover, and then the FG virtual library item at Hardcover price? My opinion of that is, "Oh, HELL NO!" (and that is refraining from my normal "Colorful" vocabulary) the difference is $120 compared to $15.
Can my purchase of an FG library item; pay the 15$ pdf price to the creators, the coders keep the "Hard cover" change, so I only have to spend $25 to $50 (*at the most) per month.

2. I want to see when I open the program what I have "unlocked"; FG features and my library by rules set.

3. I can not make a character (or anything else for that matter): Even if not online, not invited, not playing; I want to be able to select a ruleset -> and make characters, and other Custom content (Feats, Items, Spells, Hazards, Traps, Diseases, Poisons, Monsters) and be able to retrieve them at any time. Even if not online, not invited, not playing. As a plus, I need to also be able to PRINT this content. I can not print out what I make.

4. I want to have optional filters that restrict access; By age, Geography, and language.
AGE: *As a 20+/-70 year old, I do not want to play with anyone under 20 or younger. This not cruel discrimination by age; it is to NOT role play with other people's children. Children should play with children, under parental supervision. Some old dude, should not be playing with other people's children... not even virtually, just my opinion.
This is also a maturity issue. I hate slavery. If I design a massive (*Levels 0 to 30*) Pathfinder campaign around the abolition of SLAVERY in the game world, I want my abolitionist players to know that the bad guys are bad, and that the bad guys will say and do BAD things. That the big clue that a person is a BAD GUY, is that they will SAY and DO very evil things; And the players are MEANT TO STOP THEM... That as the story teller, I have the distasteful duty of portraying the Bad Guys (Speech and Deeds); with the players ultimately FIGHTING the EVIL Arch-Devil Asmodeus himself at the end! I do not condone racism and racist behavior in any way...

I do not want to be publicly crucified on "Social media" because one "-20 year old" player doesn't "get it".

Geography: eliminate the Timezone stretch, and encourage the local growth/use of your product. Official Pathfinder/Starfinder Society groups are local, but players do not always have the ability to leave home to cross up to 30 miles for an InRealLife/Face2Face game. It would be great if I could tap into all players within 100 miles of me and only 100 miles radius from me. The same time zone, similar cultural knowledge, same activity cycle, easier scheduling. I use fantasy grounds as I do not want to invite weirdos into my house. For examples; I don't want to go to jail, because one of my players happens to come over with a pocketful of dope. I don't want to be robbed, because I unwittingly invited a thief to case my house, security features, layout, and locations of personally valuable effects. I don't want me or my friends to be falsely accused of crimes; because someone wants to Sue as their primary source of income. I would use "Meet-up.com" if the folks at "Meet-up" weren't constantly deleting features that made playing RPG's online possible.

Language: this is not any kind of "-ism". This is a very real need to have players who can read what is posted, and have the players able to ACTIVELY detect nuance and clues in what is written and have the players choose to take courses of action PRO-actively without prompting. You can't have an adventure if your player's are "sleepwalking" through your text, or "coasting" through everything until there is a fight. I need players who can read what I write, and understand me at a college/post graduate level of comprehension with a similar cultural understanding; which isn't going to happen if they don't.

I want my players to be; local, adult, and understood... without having strangers come inside my house.

ChadHale
March 27th, 2020, 21:11
Gods, I hate what I wrote, specifically, "I WANT". that is so rude. Please replace "I want" with "Please, I would like to have the following"...

Zacchaeus
March 27th, 2020, 21:20
I'm not sure I understand any of your post really since I don't know what license type you have. I'm going to assume at least the Standard license since you seem? to have bought products.

1. You can read your purchased modules from within FG.
2. When you open FG, start a campaign, click Library and you'll see all your products you have unlocked.
3. You can if you have purchased material make a character using the material you have bought within FG even if not connected to a DM.

The rest is up to you when you advertise your game; you can put any restrictions on it you like.

If you are looking for a game then you can also put any restrictions on it you like.

ChadHale
March 27th, 2020, 22:43
I remember downloading an instructions for FG that was indecipherable. I don't know ASCII.
Is there a flow chart or diagram for where all the features are? Is there an instruction guide for lay persons who just want to use the program?
can you understand the following concrens?

Because, "Manage characters" doesn't manage characters. I click it and it says "Rule sets" "extensions" and "campaigns"... and doesn't manage characters AT ALL! Nor does it allow me to create a character.
Because, "Create New Campaign" wants me to create entry keys and such... not to write a Campaign, which is a set of adventures as outlines, with player handouts; maps, scenes, encounters, etc.
Because, "Load Campaign" doesn't allow me to Write a campaign, nor modify an existing one.
Because, "Join Game" asks for user name and host, (*I guess that one actually does what it says)
Because, "settings" takes me to FG settings? Do I need that, what is that for?
Because, "Upgrade to ultimate" without fail, ALWAYS, demands 149$ from me...
Because "Start" starts nothing...

Help me out. the only button that does a damn thing is "Check for updates".

ChadHale
March 27th, 2020, 22:52
hmm,

I can use Meet-up.com to advertise my game within 100 miles...
then use discord for FREE to chat, and post art; maps, characters, scenes, encounters
Then use "Google draw" for a battle map, and do characters (Players/monsters) with PNG images.
I can use the "Sharing" button to create a link that allows players to edit the image... "I.E. move their tokens about and place templates, rulers.".
With adobe photoshop I can always "Save for web" and reduce an image size from Mb to a few Kb...

Never mind, My solution is... free.

LordEntrails
March 27th, 2020, 22:57
Yes Chad, there is all that information.

When you start FGC on the window that comes up is a section right in the middle of the window called "Getting Started"
There are three links there (the red swirl/shield things). These are links to the User Manual, the User Guides, and a list of Videos. These will all answer your questions.

Also, at the top of this page is a heading called "Help". Please pull that down and select "FG Classic Wiki (Old)" and you can find specific information on various things.

To quickly answer your most recent issues. When you go into Manage Characters you have to decide what type of character you are going to create (hence why you can select a ruleset) or an existing campaign that you are a player in that you want to access your characters from (hence the list of campaigns).

But, I'm not sure manuals or wikis or videos are your preferred learning method. So, you could take a free online class at www.fantasygroundscollege.net. I am teaching one tomorrow at 5 PM UTC (that's 1 PM EDT) and you can find out more information on that here; https://fantasygroundscollege.net/events/new-user-introduction-to-fantasy-grounds/

After you take that class, you might want to sign up for (or request one if nothing scheduled meets your needs) for soemthing liek a Character Creation class, or a Combat Class or a GMing Class.

ChadHale
March 28th, 2020, 00:15
too confusing... too late...